Abstract:

The emergence of antibiotic resistance in important human pathogens has globally become a
public health concern. Consumption of contaminated meat and meat products constitute a
major route for the transmission of antibiotic resistant organisms and the dissemination of
resistance genes in the human environment. The aim of this study was to determine the level
of antibiotic resistance in potentially pathogenic bacteria associated with pork, chicken meat,
chicken manure, chicken feed and eggs. Standard procedures were employed for the selective
enrichment and isolation of Escherichiu coli, Staphylococcus, Enterobacteriaceae,
Pseudomonas and Salmonella, and to determine the level of their susceptibility for penicillin,
oxytetracycline, tetracycline, streptomycin, as well as aminoglycoside antibiotics. It was
found that 10,1% of the total number of isolates were Pseudomonas, 25,3% Staphylococcus,
2 1,2% Enterohacteriuceae, 7,0% E. coli and 36,4% Salmonella. Statistical analysis of results
showed clusters of isolates exhibiting similar patterns of antibiotic resistance. Except for
resistance to penicillin, Pseudomonas isolates were largely susceptible to the antibiotics
tested. Staphylococcus isolates were relatively susceptible, with the highest levels of
resistance, in this case to oxytetracycline and tetracycline, observed in those from pork and
chicken manure. High levels of resistance to oxytetracycline (71%), tetracycline (79%),
streptomycin (52%), and penicillin (1 00%) were detected in Enlerohucteriuceue isolates from
chicken meat samples. It was found in addition that E. coli from chicken meat samples 100%
resistant to oxytetracycline, tetracycline, and penicillin, while Salmonella showed resistance
to gentamycin (63%), tetracycline (46%), oxytetracycline and penicillin (99%). Indexing of
multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) confirmed the relatively high levels of resistance in E.
coli and Salmonella from the chicken meat samples. Overall, results from the present study
indicated that relatively high levels of resistance towards tetracycline, oxytetracycline and
penicillin was observed in potentially pathogenic bacteria associated with pork, chicken meat,
and the environment of the chicken industry. It was, however found that isolates from the
respective bacterial groups were largely susceptible to the aminoglycoside antibiotics, as well
as streptomycin and erythromycin.